Thursday, IV Lent
(John 5)
As Holy Week approaches, we Christians should review our attitudes toward Jews. All the gospels relate that Jewish people had a role in Jesus’ passion and death. The Romans actually executed Jesus, but each gospel points out that they did so at the instigation of the Jewish people. The gospels of Matthew and John are especially harsh in their consideration of Jewish responsibility. Matthew locates blame for the crucifixion not only on the Jews in Jerusalem on the first Good Friday but also on Jews of all time. The crowds respond to Pilate, “(Jesus’) blood be upon us and upon our children.” Throughout the Gospel according to John, as we see in the passage today, Jesus is in a bitter debate with not only the scribes and Pharisees and other Jewish leaders but more generically with “the Jews.”
However, we must be very careful about assigning guilt. It is universally recognized that the Gospels do not only tell the story of Jesus’ life and death but that they also reflect the conditions of apostolic times. During the latter half of the first century when the Gospels were being composed there was bitter opposition between Christians and Jews. For a while Christianity was considered a sect of Judaism. Christians worshipped with Jews in the Temple in Jerusalem until it was destroyed in 70 A.D. as well as in synagogues wherever there were Jews. With the destruction of the Temple Jewish leaders tried to put their house in order. They saw the need to expel from the synagogues the Christians who were worshipping Jesus as Messiah. As Jesus makes clear in the gospel today, Jews and Christians read the Scriptures differently.
Because they were almost literally thrown out on their ears, Christians responded with a rather harsh description of Jewish involvement for Jesus’ death in the gospels. The Vatican Council has helped us clarify what actually happened the fateful day on which Jesus was crucified. The members of the governing council were responsible for giving Jesus over to the Romans for execution. Some of these men no doubt sincerely believed that Jesus had violated the Mosaic blasphemy laws and deserved death. Others probably acted out of jealousy and hatred. In any case it is wrong for Christians to blame all Jews at the time for Jesus’ death and an outrage to call Jews today “Christ killers.” Jesus was a Jew, and many Jews became Christians. There are many reasons for us to love Jews, not the least of which is Jesus’ command to love our neighbor as our self.
Homilette for Wednesday, March 21, 2007
Wednesday, IV Lent
(Isaiah 49)
Lent is generally associated with the Hebrews’ Exodus from Egypt. Our forty days of struggle against sinful tendencies correspond to the forty years of purification that the Hebrews underwent in the desert. There are other Bible stories, however, which also give meaning to our Lenten experience. The first reading today presents one of these.
In the sixth century before Christ the Babylonians conquered the Kingdom of Judah and carried many of its people into exile. It was a terrible experience of subjugation, humiliation, and mortification. The prophets wrote of it as a punishment for the excesses of the people during the period of kings. Many rich people squandered fortunes in idolatrous living and ignored the plight of the poor. But Isaiah pronounces enough is enough. The people have learned their lesson. God is at hand to bring them back to their own land.
We would do well to hear the voice of Isaiah as a wake up call. God has noticed our sacrifices and is coming to rescue us from our sins. We have to hold the line for two and a half more weeks. But just as sure as the daylight now exceeds nighttime so can we count on God liberating us through Christ’s Easter victory. He shall crown our efforts of charity, prayer, and fasting to make us God-like in generosity, wisdom, and self-control.
(Isaiah 49)
Lent is generally associated with the Hebrews’ Exodus from Egypt. Our forty days of struggle against sinful tendencies correspond to the forty years of purification that the Hebrews underwent in the desert. There are other Bible stories, however, which also give meaning to our Lenten experience. The first reading today presents one of these.
In the sixth century before Christ the Babylonians conquered the Kingdom of Judah and carried many of its people into exile. It was a terrible experience of subjugation, humiliation, and mortification. The prophets wrote of it as a punishment for the excesses of the people during the period of kings. Many rich people squandered fortunes in idolatrous living and ignored the plight of the poor. But Isaiah pronounces enough is enough. The people have learned their lesson. God is at hand to bring them back to their own land.
We would do well to hear the voice of Isaiah as a wake up call. God has noticed our sacrifices and is coming to rescue us from our sins. We have to hold the line for two and a half more weeks. But just as sure as the daylight now exceeds nighttime so can we count on God liberating us through Christ’s Easter victory. He shall crown our efforts of charity, prayer, and fasting to make us God-like in generosity, wisdom, and self-control.
Homilette for March 20, 2007
Tuesday, IV Lent
Ezekiel 47 and John 5)
Both the readings today illustrate the restorative power of water. In Ezekiel the water flows from the Temple to saturate the ground so that it may produce abundant life. The water is seen as a kind of grace that provides healing and nutritive benefits for the people. In John the crippled man cannot avail himself of the Temple waters so Jesus intervenes to heal the man directly. He becomes a more dependable source of grace than the Temple whose waters stir only intermittently and whose effectiveness is limited.
Jesus can come to us in ten thousand ways. But the channels that he has established are the seven sacraments. In Baptism, Confirmation, Eucharist, Reconciliation, Healing, Marriage and Orders he both heals us and empowers us.
“Crops grow where water flows.” That’s the message on a road sign that the agricultural lobby puts on highways. The lobby wants to remind citizens that water cannot be taken for granted. It may fall from the sky but it has to be preserved and channeled by often costly government actions. So we should not take for granted the sacraments. To keep the waters of grace flowing we need to come to Penance services and, of course, Mass. It may take some effort but the benefits enhance our life.
Ezekiel 47 and John 5)
Both the readings today illustrate the restorative power of water. In Ezekiel the water flows from the Temple to saturate the ground so that it may produce abundant life. The water is seen as a kind of grace that provides healing and nutritive benefits for the people. In John the crippled man cannot avail himself of the Temple waters so Jesus intervenes to heal the man directly. He becomes a more dependable source of grace than the Temple whose waters stir only intermittently and whose effectiveness is limited.
Jesus can come to us in ten thousand ways. But the channels that he has established are the seven sacraments. In Baptism, Confirmation, Eucharist, Reconciliation, Healing, Marriage and Orders he both heals us and empowers us.
“Crops grow where water flows.” That’s the message on a road sign that the agricultural lobby puts on highways. The lobby wants to remind citizens that water cannot be taken for granted. It may fall from the sky but it has to be preserved and channeled by often costly government actions. So we should not take for granted the sacraments. To keep the waters of grace flowing we need to come to Penance services and, of course, Mass. It may take some effort but the benefits enhance our life.
Homilette for March 19, 2007
Monday, The Feast of St. Joseph
(Matthew 1)
There is a fascinating painting of the Holy Family in Egypt. It shows Mary holding Jesus in her arms. The mother and child are sitting between the lion-like paws of a giant sphinx. Meanwhile, Joseph lies a fair distance away protecting access to the sacred pair. The painting indicates Joseph’s relationship of responsibility and reverence for his virgin wife and her son.
St. Matthew calls Joseph “a righteous man” in the gospel today. This means that he conforms himself to the will of God. He does not insist on his will over God’s will but tries to carry out the Lord’s directives. As a man, no doubt he desires to have relations with his young wife, but this would be contrary to God’s plan. Mary is going to give birth to the Son of God, and Joseph must not violate this sacred event.
We also strive to do the will of God. If we are not married or if our spouses are disabled, God’s will is that we like Joseph do not have sexual relations. We carry out God’s will everyday when we tell the truth, avoid gossip, and do not take the Lord’s name in vain. In these ways we too can be called like Joseph “righteous” men and women.
(Matthew 1)
There is a fascinating painting of the Holy Family in Egypt. It shows Mary holding Jesus in her arms. The mother and child are sitting between the lion-like paws of a giant sphinx. Meanwhile, Joseph lies a fair distance away protecting access to the sacred pair. The painting indicates Joseph’s relationship of responsibility and reverence for his virgin wife and her son.
St. Matthew calls Joseph “a righteous man” in the gospel today. This means that he conforms himself to the will of God. He does not insist on his will over God’s will but tries to carry out the Lord’s directives. As a man, no doubt he desires to have relations with his young wife, but this would be contrary to God’s plan. Mary is going to give birth to the Son of God, and Joseph must not violate this sacred event.
We also strive to do the will of God. If we are not married or if our spouses are disabled, God’s will is that we like Joseph do not have sexual relations. We carry out God’s will everyday when we tell the truth, avoid gossip, and do not take the Lord’s name in vain. In these ways we too can be called like Joseph “righteous” men and women.
Homily for Sunday, March 18, 2007
Sunday, LENT Week IV
(Lk 15)
Books on tape aren’t read. They are performed. This is no exaggeration. Anyone who has ever heard a recording of, for example, Lonesome Dove, would agree. The performer of that recording gives distinctive voices to such diverse characters as Augustus McCrae, Joshua Deets, and Lorena Wood. In the parable today Jesus invites us to, in a sense, impersonate the three family members. Each of us should identify himself or herself with the younger son, the elder son, and the father.
Some of us will easily see ourselves as the younger son. We may have been “daddy’s favorite” or dared to have borne a tattoo. But in a deeper sense all of us resemble the younger son when we leave home to stake our claim in the world. In that process we usually forget about God’s inexhaustible love. As a result we allow the standards of the world to replace the good God desires for each of us. We set our hearts on “A’s” rather than wisdom regarding the nature of things. We hanker for five-star service rather than to serve the common welfare. We long for the pleasure of sexual gratification rather than the total self-surrender of marital love. The list can be extended, but in every case there is an infinite distance between the world’s promptings and God’s plans. We yearn for what is passing, what cannot really satisfy. We pass by what makes us like our heavenly Father.
In Jesus’ parable the wayward son is broadsided as he pursues his worldly adventure. He suffers for his lack of discretion, remembers his father’s goodness, and returns home to beg for mercy. All of us need to head in the same direction. It is in rediscovering the love of God, our Father, which gives us hope. That love is like a family diamond – ageless, priceless, erosion-less. It provides a stable basis to this life and an everlasting home in what lies beyond.
We who come to church on Sunday should find little difficulty in identifying with the elder son. After all, Jesus includes this character in his story as a lesson to the Pharisees, the ultimate church-goers. Abiding by the rules, we believe that we deserve more of life’s rewards than those who flout them. So driving in the appointed lane we resent someone using the shoulder then sneaking in front of us. Also, we envy those who seem to garner maximum attention with minimum effort. So we grumble when the boss or the pastor blue-ribbons a colleague whose contribution to the job seems little more than we made.
The elder son’s short-sighted anger keeps his father’s love out of view. Stewing over his brother’s return, he cannot notice how his father’s humbles himself to call him to the party. Nor can he appreciate how his father’s remaining legacy solely belongs to him. It is indeed difficult for anyone to live with resentment and envy. But we are not helpless in the situation. We can choose to practice gratitude for all that we have. Especially we in this church today have so much to be thankful for. We generally have families who care about us. We live in a free society with multiple opportunities to learn and earn. And we have a faith that gives us access to the source and end of life. Rather than obsessing over how unfair the world appears, we might thank God daily for these blessings.
We call the story “The Parable of the Prodigal Son” but it is the father who takes over center stage. A thinly veiled symbol for God, he goes out of his way to welcome both sons back. How might we imitate Him, even if we are not a parent? The father in the parable accepts his younger son’s return without giving him an economics lecture. We should likewise accept those we have been given to care for, i.e. our family, friends and associates. We may not condone all their actions, but we can express our love for them. A woman recently came to a priest crying that her daughter is a homosexual. Hopefully, she took to heart the priest’s consolation that a homosexual orientation is not immoral. Furthermore, the daughter needs her mother’s love. Beyond acceptance we need to spend time with those in our care. The old man’s interrupting his celebration to assist his elder son get over his anger is especially telling. He does not demand his son to join the party. But he does take time to explain why the celebration is in order. Time for friends and even time for children is becoming increasingly scarce in our society. Studies indicate that we do not visit friends and relatives nearly as often as a generation ago. Neither are parents spending so much time with their children. These trends are at best worrisome. We are missing the critical lesson in The Little Prince, “It is the time you have wasted for your rose that makes your rose so important.”
The last scene of the movie Master and Commander shows a tall ship doing an about face in the middle of the ocean. That describes the younger son in Jesus’ parable coming to his senses and returning to his father. It also resembles each of us during Lent. Now is the time to realize that we have gone too far in staking our claim in the world. We hanker after diamonds and grumble over one-star service. Now is the time to rediscover God’s love for each of us and to beg for His mercy. Now is the time for mercy.
(Lk 15)
Books on tape aren’t read. They are performed. This is no exaggeration. Anyone who has ever heard a recording of, for example, Lonesome Dove, would agree. The performer of that recording gives distinctive voices to such diverse characters as Augustus McCrae, Joshua Deets, and Lorena Wood. In the parable today Jesus invites us to, in a sense, impersonate the three family members. Each of us should identify himself or herself with the younger son, the elder son, and the father.
Some of us will easily see ourselves as the younger son. We may have been “daddy’s favorite” or dared to have borne a tattoo. But in a deeper sense all of us resemble the younger son when we leave home to stake our claim in the world. In that process we usually forget about God’s inexhaustible love. As a result we allow the standards of the world to replace the good God desires for each of us. We set our hearts on “A’s” rather than wisdom regarding the nature of things. We hanker for five-star service rather than to serve the common welfare. We long for the pleasure of sexual gratification rather than the total self-surrender of marital love. The list can be extended, but in every case there is an infinite distance between the world’s promptings and God’s plans. We yearn for what is passing, what cannot really satisfy. We pass by what makes us like our heavenly Father.
In Jesus’ parable the wayward son is broadsided as he pursues his worldly adventure. He suffers for his lack of discretion, remembers his father’s goodness, and returns home to beg for mercy. All of us need to head in the same direction. It is in rediscovering the love of God, our Father, which gives us hope. That love is like a family diamond – ageless, priceless, erosion-less. It provides a stable basis to this life and an everlasting home in what lies beyond.
We who come to church on Sunday should find little difficulty in identifying with the elder son. After all, Jesus includes this character in his story as a lesson to the Pharisees, the ultimate church-goers. Abiding by the rules, we believe that we deserve more of life’s rewards than those who flout them. So driving in the appointed lane we resent someone using the shoulder then sneaking in front of us. Also, we envy those who seem to garner maximum attention with minimum effort. So we grumble when the boss or the pastor blue-ribbons a colleague whose contribution to the job seems little more than we made.
The elder son’s short-sighted anger keeps his father’s love out of view. Stewing over his brother’s return, he cannot notice how his father’s humbles himself to call him to the party. Nor can he appreciate how his father’s remaining legacy solely belongs to him. It is indeed difficult for anyone to live with resentment and envy. But we are not helpless in the situation. We can choose to practice gratitude for all that we have. Especially we in this church today have so much to be thankful for. We generally have families who care about us. We live in a free society with multiple opportunities to learn and earn. And we have a faith that gives us access to the source and end of life. Rather than obsessing over how unfair the world appears, we might thank God daily for these blessings.
We call the story “The Parable of the Prodigal Son” but it is the father who takes over center stage. A thinly veiled symbol for God, he goes out of his way to welcome both sons back. How might we imitate Him, even if we are not a parent? The father in the parable accepts his younger son’s return without giving him an economics lecture. We should likewise accept those we have been given to care for, i.e. our family, friends and associates. We may not condone all their actions, but we can express our love for them. A woman recently came to a priest crying that her daughter is a homosexual. Hopefully, she took to heart the priest’s consolation that a homosexual orientation is not immoral. Furthermore, the daughter needs her mother’s love. Beyond acceptance we need to spend time with those in our care. The old man’s interrupting his celebration to assist his elder son get over his anger is especially telling. He does not demand his son to join the party. But he does take time to explain why the celebration is in order. Time for friends and even time for children is becoming increasingly scarce in our society. Studies indicate that we do not visit friends and relatives nearly as often as a generation ago. Neither are parents spending so much time with their children. These trends are at best worrisome. We are missing the critical lesson in The Little Prince, “It is the time you have wasted for your rose that makes your rose so important.”
The last scene of the movie Master and Commander shows a tall ship doing an about face in the middle of the ocean. That describes the younger son in Jesus’ parable coming to his senses and returning to his father. It also resembles each of us during Lent. Now is the time to realize that we have gone too far in staking our claim in the world. We hanker after diamonds and grumble over one-star service. Now is the time to rediscover God’s love for each of us and to beg for His mercy. Now is the time for mercy.
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